5 reasons Manchester City will defeat Real Madrid
4. Real Madrid’s title challenge
As it stands, Real Madrid are just a single point behind joint leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in La Liga title race. They also have a superior goal difference to their two rivals – although Barcelona’s huge 6-0 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday cut that deficit. With just three games remaining, Zidane’s men simply cannot afford a slip-up. Saturday’s game at local rivals Rayo Vallecano was therefore a must-win, and Zidane was not blessed with the luxury of being able to rest his stars.
Sergio Ramos and Luka Modric were the only two that were given a reprieve, but the latter was forced to play the final half hour as Madrid searched for a winner with the scores at 2-2. It was a far tougher game than Zidane or his players would have liked, and the likes of Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale were forced to play the full ninety minutes.
Of course, City are only five points clear of 5th place having played a game more than Manchester United, and retaining a place in the Champions League is imperative. However, having never won the competition or even reached these stages before, they must and surely will prioritise the Champions League. On Saturday, they faced a Stoke City team in dreadful form, and were afforded the luxury of being able to rest Kompany, De Bruyne and Sterling. Silva and Aguero were also substituted in order to rest them for Tuesday. At this stage of the season, competing on several fronts can sometimes be a poisoned chalice.
Next: City's weapon vs. Real's weakness